Second Chances
by EnglishPoet18
Summary: This is an AU fic. It is going to primarily be from Merle's POV and alternate to Daryl's from time to time. This will eventually be a Merle/Andrea ship and a CARYL ship. I'm rating this 'M' for language and eventual sexual content. May be other group involvement.I own nothing from The Walking Dead nor am I affiliated with them in any way.
1. Chapter 1

****AN: So. Another story. Don't ask me why I decided I need one more thing on my plate because I couldn't tell you. I can tell you that this is an AU story, obviously, and that it's going to be a Andrea/Merle ship. (I don't know how you would do that ship name) This is going to be my first foray into the life of Andrea and anyone who actually knows me, knows that I care nothing about the Andrea that was on the show. So, for all intents and purposes my Andrea will very much be OOC. She will still look and talk like the Andrea on the show, but she won't act like her. Because honestly, I couldn't write her if she did. I'm not sure yet if or who Daryl might get paired with. For now, this is what I have. This came to me today and it just poured out of me. I debated on posting it, because to be honest, today is not a good day for me. I've found out that someone close to me has passed and it's also my late Grandmother's birthday. It's a little bit of an emotional day and I hope that my writing didn't suffer for it. I'm going to ask that you go easy on me. If you like it, just leave me a little note that you do, if you please. Hopefully by the next chapter I will have more details for you on how this story will proceed from here. I've got all of these thoughts floating around in my head right now and it may take me some time to sort through them. I'm not sure if/when I will get to my other fics today. It depends on if my mood improves or not. I can't write fluff well in this mood. So anyway, it's not much, but here it is. What do you think? Potential or no? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts...Thanks**

**...**

The funny thing about life is that no matter what you do or how you do it, it goes on.

You can waste away an entire day on doing absolutely nothing and yet when you finally come up for air, life is still there. There is no escaping it. You only get your one shot at life and you try to make it the best that you can. People always tell you you've got to live a little, see the world, and enjoy the small things. What they don't tell you is that everyone's life is different and sometimes it doesn't give us that option. Sometimes life deals you a shitty hand and next thing you know you're stuck wasting away three years of your life surrounded by concrete blocks. And yet, outside of those blocks, life goes on.

Merle Dixon was a lot of things. He was a recovering alcoholic, an addict, and an overall asshole most of the time. It was an impressive list that most people would shy away from, but it was his life and he accepted it as such. He hadn't had the best childhood growing up. His Dad had been an alcoholic and a junkie, accidentally falling asleep with a lit cigarette one night and sending their whole home up in flames, claiming the life of his mother who had been asleep inside at the time. Most people might say that life is what made Merle Dixon the way he was, but Merle would say that he was simply born that way.

He wasn't born to be anything great in this world. He wasn't cut out to be a leader, a follower, or one of the upper class. He was simply Merle and he did what _Merle_ wanted to do, regardless of the consequences. He had long since decided that life was what you made of it and he wasn't going to spend it with any regrets. He was okay with just being Merle and he could care less what anyone thought.

It was those feelings exactly which had led him to spend hard time in prison. He had been dealt a shitty hand indeed. One drug deal gone bad and Merle had found himself booked, printed, and behind bars. One might say that it might do him good to spend time in prison, but Merle knew that he was just biding his time until his release. He was playing by the rules of life, waiting on someone to grant him his get out of jail free card. The rules in prison were simple: you did what you were told and you kept your mouth shut. He could play by the rules for a period of time _if_ it got him what he needed. He wasn't a stupid man by any means. Consequently, he ended up only spending three of his five years behind those concrete walls. He kept his nose clean and ignored the men who tried to pick a fight with him. It didn't take long for those on his cell block to learn that you didn't mess with M. Dixon, as his shirt read. He kept so quiet that everyone assumed he was crazy and ultimately were scared to tangle with him.

Most people would take one look at him and they would act like they knew everything about his life and what he was about. Most would also be surprised that Merle spent all three of his years in prison reading in his cell like a good little inmate. He read every book available to him, even the boring ones. And there were lots of boring ones. They didn't give you a good selection in prison and when he got tired of reading those books, he exercised. Push-ups, sit-ups, and stretches were the most that could be performed in the limited space you were given. In prison, you were considered lucky to get whatever they gave you and you took it like a good little soldier.

Merle knew _all_ about being a good little soldier. He had spent five years in the military before. Earned every damn crease and stain on his uniform, but it wasn't _enough_. Somewhere along the way, Merle Dixon wanted more. He wanted to _live_. He craved the thrill of the chase and, eventually, the thrill of the high, which led him to where he was today. A hardened criminal with a shoddy military background. A man that no one would want and everyone would fear.

Today was the day he was going to walk out of those iron doors and breathe in the dull, polluted, air of Jefferson, Georgia as a free man. Thirty-five years of his life gone by, and this is what he had to show for it. And so he sat, patiently waiting, release papers in hand, until his brother came for him. They couldn't just release him; that would be too easy. If three years in prison had taught him anything, it was patience. Someone had to come for him, and the only someone Merle knew was his brother Daryl.

Daryl Dixon was his younger brother by six years. The two of them had a relationship that most didn't understand and never would. They weren't best friends and most of the time they weren't even friendly to each other. They were simply brothers for lack of a better definition. They were all each other had left in this shitty world and they clung to that knowledge with both hands, neither wanting to admit that they needed the other.

Daryl had had his share of hard knocks in life. While Merle had been out, fighting for his life and playing soldier, Daryl had been doing his own fighting. He had been fighting to get out of the hell that had been their childhood. Left to his own devices, Daryl had become a prime target for their old man. Several raw beatings and years of emotional abuse had taken a toll on his brother's life. It took two years before Daryl had been able to get out from the abuse but the damage had been done. Life had dealt Daryl Dixon a shitty hand too.

Working from one piss poor job to another, he had finally scraped away enough to get out and get away from Atlanta, where they had grown up in a two room shack that should have been condemned a long time ago. He had ended up in Jefferson which is where Merle caught back up with him when he got out of the military. Seeing his brother had been hard for Merle. He had known that upon leaving, Daryl would suffer the full brunt of their old man's abuse but Merle had still enlisted and left Daryl essentially to fend for himself. Life was what you made of it, right?

He wouldn't admit that the guilt for that ate at him, kept him up at night sometimes. It had been easier to just drink away the guilt, drive it from his mind. Only eventually, the drinking had stopped working and Merle had had to move on to the next best thing to numb his brain - drugs. He took whatever he could get his hands on at first, shooting up or snorting random drugs. The funny thing about drugs was that you could find them literally everywhere but you could never _fully_ get away from them. Finally, adter much trial and error, he found his drug of choice - Meth. It didn't usually take much to get that burst of energy and feel that high and it seemed to last much longer than all of the others. Except that as soon as he came down from his high, he was immediately looking for the next one until one time he ended up dealing with an undercover agent. You had to learn to live a little, right?

That had been the end of that line for Merle Dixon and he had spent one month in the infirmary trying to come off of that drug. It had been the longest, hardest, month Merle Dixon would tell you he had ever had. He had always considered himself a strong man, a man of little fears, but that drug had kicked his ass many times over. He vowed one day after suffering from the most violent shakes of his life that once he kicked that habit, he would never again pick it back up. Once Merle Dixon had it in his mind to do something he did it. It was just that simple.

Today would start the ultimate test. The test to see just how strong Merle still was. He wouldn't be on probation and no one would be around to scold him for doing wrong. He was as free as one person could be in the world. Today was the start of a new chapter for him, and it would ultimately be his decision on how that chapter would be written.

And so he sat in the cold, hard, metal chairs of the waiting room of the prison and he waited.

He waited for one whole hour until the door opened and his brother walked back into his life. Not once had he come to see Merle in prison, but he had always sent what money he could each month. That had been enough for Merle to know that his brother still cared. His brother didn't say anything to him as he entered the waiting area but his eyes cast over him briefly before walking up to the guard. Merle watched him sign some papers and then he stood up and followed his brother out to freedom. They didn't hug, smile, or shake hands even. A simple nod was all that was exchanged and anyone looking might have thought they were no more than distant acquaintances.

Merle had no items to carry out besides the small bag they had given him when he had changed out of his prison uniform. He had already put on everything in the bag and now he was empty handed. It had contained his wallet, clothes, and five dollars. He was going back to civilization with five whole dollars to his name.

He followed his brother over to a rather nice looking Dodge truck and simply stood there while his brother unlocked the door. It still had the new car smell and Merle began to wonder if maybe his brother had stolen it or had taken to dealing illegal drugs while he had been gone. He stared at his brother as he started the engine. Daryl sat there for several moments before he spoke.

"It's my bosses. I ain't steal it, if'n that's what yer thinkin'," He said.

The first words his brother uttered to him after three years and it had to be an explanation for his actions. Merle nodded, unsure for a moment what he should say. There weren't many times in Merle Dixon's life that he was rendered speechless. There were lots of times he _chose_ to remain silent but never a time where he was at a loss for words. Except for now. What did you say to someone you hadn't seen in three years? Was he supposed to say that he was sorry that he had left him, but shit happens? Or should he just pick right back up like nothing happened at all?

So Merle did the only thing he could think of. He nodded his head and kept his damn mouth shut. Because in the end, silence was usually the best option. Silence wouldn't earn you a punch to the face, it wouldn't trick you into confessing to a crime, and it definitely wouldn't piss off your brother that you hoped took pity on you and let you move in with him.

Because as hard as life was, and Merle knew it was _fucking awful_ sometimes, it was even harder to make it with only five dollars to your name.


	2. Chapter 2

****AN: Thanks for the few follows and reviews I've gotten about this fic so far. It truly means a lot. I hope you all enjoy this second chapter. I know it's kind of slow right now as we get everything set in place and rolling along. Please review if you feel so inclined. Thanks for reading! **

**...**

Merle barely paid any attention at all to their surroundings as Daryl drove him to the place that he would call home for now. A place that he had never been to before. He didn't even have one slightest clue as to what his brother did for a living. All he knew was that he wasn't in prison anymore and for now, that was enough.

After what seemed like forever to Merle but was probably only about an hour, Daryl slowed the truck down and pulled into a mechanics shop. The building was faded, clearly showing signs of its many years of use. There were splotches of faded red across the top of the building where Merle figured had once bore the name of the place. Several different vehicles were crowded around the busy garage and Daryl drove the truck around behind the building and put it in park. He didn't move to get out of the vehicle and Merle waited, knowing that his brother had something on his mind.

"I work here," Daryl commented.

Merle nodded. "Kinda put two an' two together there an' figured that out," He replied.

Daryl smirked, running his fingers over the steering wheel lightly. He frowned as if he was thinking real hard about something and then he looked at Merle dead on. "Don't fuck this up fer me."

Merle stared back at his brother. Three years ago he would have been ready with some sarcastic comment to that but that had been three years ago. Things had been different then. He was still the same Merle in a way and he figured that given time he might be able to spout off a quip or two here and there, but for now, he was treading carefully. "I ain't tha same asshole I was before brotha'. I reckon' I can manage ta not screw this up fer ya," He finally said.

Daryl stared back down at the steering wheel, tracing his fingers over the Dodge emblem in the middle. "Ya gon' stay clean this time?"

There it was. The real issue. He knew his brother was worried that he might fall into his old habits again. After all, he _had_ went from one extreme to the other experimenting for a little over a year before he had been caught. Merle cleared his throat. "What'cha want from me brotha'? Ya want me ta sign some kinda paper listin' my do's an' don't's? Want me ta give ya a sample o' my blood?"

Daryl shook his head. "I jus' wanna know what ta expect. I got me a life 'ere now an' I ain't lookin' fer trouble," He replied.

"That's where I come in, ain't it? Merle's always been trouble, ain't that right? I'm jus' one big ole' fuckin' screw up," He muttered. It pissed him off that his brother was talking down to him like they weren't cut from the same cloth, hadn't lived through the same shit.

Daryl wrenched open his door and paused before he shut it. He didn't turn around when he spoke next, "Ya fuckin' left me there in that shit hole an' then when ya came back I had ta deal with yer drugs an' shit. If'n that's tha kinda life ya want, then ya need ta go an' live it somewhere else," Daryl slammed the door shut and walked towards the door at the back of the garage.

That went about as well as he had imagined. He knew that his brother was harboring some resentment over Merle leaving. He just didn't understand that it was hard for him too. He couldn't have stayed. If he had stayed, everything might be far different now and not necessarily in a good way either. But that was water under the bridge now; he just had to prove that he could change.

He sighed and exited the truck, following in Daryl's footsteps towards the door that he assumed led to the garage. He saw that he was right as he opened the door and looked around. There were three bays inside the shop and currently all were occupied with a vehicle. Either the place had a really good reputation or there weren't many options around these parts. He figured it was probably a little of both. The town hadn't looked all that big unless there was more hiding somewhere behind the miles of trees.

Soft rock music played from a small radio sitting on top of a plastic drum in the middle of the garage. All around, the sounds of wrenches clanging and idle chatter could be heard. Merle spotted Daryl off to the side talking to a man intently about something, casting several glances his way. He waited and after a few minutes, Daryl walked over to him.

"That was my boss. I gotta finish liftin' this engine back inta this car an' then we can go," Daryl said.

Merle shrugged. "Take yer time. Not like I got anywhere ta be." He eyed the vehicles in the lot outside. "Ya got a ride?" He asked.

Daryl looked at him, "Don't need one. House is jus' down tha street."

"Alright. Well do what'cha gotta do. I reckon' I can keep myself entertained fer now," Merle said.

Daryl nodded and walked over to the middle bay where a car sat on a lift, waiting to finished. Merle stood off to the side with his arms crossed, mildly interested in the comings and goings of the people around him. He was pretty good with cars himself but he was better with bikes. Bikes were his passion, they were-

"Hey," A voice interrupted his thoughts. "If you're gonna stand in the way, how 'bout making yourself useful?" Merle turned his head to see a blonde with engine grease on her cheek talking to him. She had a wrench in one hand and the other hand on her hip.

"Well ain't you cute?" Merle drawled.

The blonde smiled and tossed the wrench around in her hands lightly. "Cute, huh? I'll show _you_ cute you-"

"I see ya met my brother Merle," Daryl said as he walked over to them, wiping his hands on a red shop towel as he went.

The blonde turned to Daryl then. "_This _is your fuckin' brother? The asshole you were tellin' us about?" She asked.

Merle shot Daryl a look who pretended to be studying a spot of grease on his shirt. He scoffed. "Well it's good ta know ya was thinkin' 'bout me brotha," He said sarcastically. "Ya bangin' this chick or somethin'?"

The blonde's mouth dropped open and Merle chuckled. Daryl stepped between them as she reared back to clearly let him have it. "Nah, we ain't like that. Andrea jus' works here. She's like one o' the guys an' she's a damn good mechanic," Daryl replied.

The blonde, who was apparently named Andrea, smirked at him over the top of Daryl's head. Merle crossed his arms. "Is that right? Looks ta me like she's jus' pretendin'. I don't think she really knows what in tha hell she's doin'," Merle said.

Daryl sighed, "Merle," He warned.

Merle met the blonde's stare head on and they stared at each other for several minutes before she finally looked away. She looked down at Daryl, "Maybe you should have left his ass to rot up there at that jail Daryl. Seems to me he's got a stick up his ass," She threw over her shoulder as she walked back over to her bay.

Merle scowled and then shot Daryl a look. "What tha hell brotha'? Ya put up with this shit every day?"

"Andrea ain't normally like that. She can be kinda prickly to people she ain't like. Guess she jus' don't like ya very much," Daryl smirked.

"Yeah? Well tha feelin's mutual," Merle replied, his eyes on the young woman as she bent over, her head almost swallowed by the engine she was working on.

...

It was over an hour later before Daryl finally walked out of the garage to get him. He was leaning on the outside of the building, trying to keep from pounding his head into the concrete wall behind him. He didn't think he would ever say this once he got out of that prison, but he was bored. There didn't seem to be much to do in this hole in the wall town and it didn't seem to bother his brother who actually seemed happy there. Well as happy as Daryl _could_ be anyway.

"Ya ready?" Daryl asked as he lit up a cigarette. He offered one to Merle but he shook his head no. He hadn't ever been a big smoker. Daryl had been the one to always smoke like a freight train.

"Guess so," Merle replied. He stood up from his spot and fell into place beside Daryl, who took off down the road. There wasn't a whole lot to look at while they walked. It appeared to be your average middle-class neighborhood, with kids playing outside and others out mowing their yards. They walked past three houses before Daryl turned and headed into a trailer park that looked a little run down. Merle counted about eight trailers as they walked and Daryl finally came to a stop at the very last trailer. Three steps and a shaky rail sat just under the front door and Merle watched the screen door swing open and bang onto the side of the trailer loudly.

"Damn shit won't stay shut," Daryl muttered as he walked up to stick his key in the lock. Merle followed him inside and stood still for a moment as he looked around. "You can have tha room down tha hall on tha right. Furniture ain't mine so try not ta mess it up," Daryl commented.

Merle took in the lumpy looking couch and chair that was losing some of its stuffing with a raised brow. He passed through the kitchen that was painted some kind of bird shit green color and headed down the hallway. He opened the door to the bedroom on the right and glanced at the single bed and table that populated the room. At the very least, it had to be more comfortable than the prison bunks and Merle was more than happy to be out of that place. He would just have to get used to the quiet again. Since he didn't have any belongings he needed to put away, he headed back down the hallway, passing Daryl as he headed for the shower.

"Check out tha backyard," Daryl said as he shut the bathroom door.

Curious, Merle went into the kitchen and unlocked the back door to step outside. There was a slightly bigger porch that held only a single chair and a tiny grill. He wondered what it was exactly that he was supposed to check out and then he saw it.

For the first time in three years, Merle Dixon smiled a genuine smile.


	3. Chapter 3

****AN: So here's a little something for those that are reading. It's not much, but it's been a rough few days. I really hope you like it so far and please review if you do. It makes me happy to know that there's someone out there reading. Thanks again!**

**...**

Merle smiled as he walked down the steps of the porch. He stopped next to his bike and kneeled, running his hand gently over the side. The chrome shined brightly and Merle knew that Daryl must have shined it up for him.

The bike had been his pride and joy. It was the one thing that Merle Dixon loved unconditionally in this world. He had built it from the ground up, pouring all of his blood, sweat, and tears into the thing. Grinning like a fool, but unable to help himself he straddled the bike, settling comfortably onto the seat as if it had been made for him.

"Kept 'er serviced for ya," Daryl commented. He was standing off to the side of the bike, near the porch with his arms crossed.

Merle nodded. "Ya run 'er?"

Daryl tossed a key at him and Merle caught it in the air. He stuck it in the ignition and then noticed the other bike sitting off to the side. He glanced at Daryl and then at the other bike. The bike looked familiar to him for some reason though he couldn't remember why. Daryl walked past him and wiped at a spot on one of the mirrors.

"Ya recognize this?" He asked Merle.

"Looks familiar. That ain't...Is that tha bike ya was workin' on when I first got outta tha service?" Merle asked. Daryl nodded, the pride evident on his face.

Merle vaguely remembered the bike. It had been a piece of shit that someone in their neighborhood had wanted to toss out as scrap metal but Daryl had told the man that he would take it. So he had asked a friend to borrow a truck and he had moved the scrap pile back to their place. His brother hadn't had much money to work on it, but he had worked on it regardless and looking at it now, Merle couldn't believe it was the same bike. It gleamed in the late afternoon sunshine and made Merle want to go riding. He longed for the feel of the engine between his legs, the vibrating roar of power.

"Let's go for a ride lil' brotha. What tha hell we still standin' round 'ere for?" Merle asked.

Daryl grinned, "Alright."

He straddled his bike and the brothers both fired their engines, twisting the throttles slightly to make them roar. Merle closed his eyes in satisfaction. To him, there wasn't anything much better than this. Except for sex, riding on bikes was something that Merle truly enjoyed.

He let Daryl lead the way since he wasn't familiar with the roads here and they headed down the gravel road between the trailers towards the main highway. Once they hit the road, the brothers let loose, stretching out the bikes on the long stretch of open highway.

Merle couldn't remember the last time he had felt such satisfaction. It had been so long ago. He had lost a lot of years doing his different drugs, switching from one high to the other like a game of Russian Roulette. Luckily, he had never managed to hurt himself beyond the occasional scuffle, hangover, or headache.

He was finished with that life though. He was done with all of the bullshit. He was nearing forty and it was time he did _something_ with his life besides fuck it up. He just hoped that he could figure something out. Maybe he could help out down at that shop that his brother worked at. Everybody could use a bike man, he figured. He had to keep busy because if he didn't, he was liable to fuck up again and he just didn't want to relive all of that shit again.

They rode almost side by side for over an hour before they finally ended back up at the trailer park and Merle pulled in ahead of Daryl, shooting him a grin as he cut him off. He drifted slowly down the gravel drive, his thoughts drifting.

He almost didn't notice her walking out in the road until he had to swerve the bike over to avoid coming too close to her. He came to a stop several inches from her and heard Daryl pull up behind him. The blonde shot him a look and then smiled over at Daryl. Merle scowled at the fact that she so obviously didn't like him. The bitch didn't even know him and yet she had already judged him. That fact aggravated him more than he had thought it would.

"What ya doin' 'ere?" He asked her.

She smirked at him, "I live here. The trailer next to Daryl's is mine."

Merle took the opportunity to study her a little more now that he could see her better. She had on jeans that had a hole in one knee and several grease spots as well as a plain black shirt. Her jeans hugged her ass and Merle found himself leaning to the side slightly to try to get a better look.

"Are you seriously checkin' me out?" She asked, interrupting his thoughts.

Merle stared at her startled. No one had ever dared to call him out on that before. He smiled, "I jus' got out of prison darlin'. Can't blame a man fer lookin'," He said.

She gave him another glare and then looked past him at Daryl, "Chuck wants you in as early as possible in the morning. Had a guy call about another engine rebuild. Needs it done as soon as possible. He said there's a bonus in it for you if you can have it done in two days."

Daryl lit a cigarette and took a few puffs before replying. "Alright. Thanks."

Andrea nodded, "No problem. I'm off tomorrow so I'll see ya around." She waved at Daryl and cast one last look at Merle before walking the rest of the way to her place at the end.

Merle cranked up his bike and pulled into their driveway, Daryl a few paces behind him as he continued to smoke his cigarette. They sat on their bikes for several minutes, neither of them saying anything.

"So what's tha deal with blondie anyways?" Merle gestured with a tip of his head at the trailer the woman had just walked inside of.

Daryl let out a breath of smoke and dropped his cigarette on the ground, crushing it with his boot. "Don't," He muttered.

"Don't what?" Merle asked.

Daryl sighed, "Leave 'er alone Merle. She ain't lookin' fer no one night stand."

Merle scoffed, "Why ya gotta be jumpin' ta conclusions? Ain't nobody said nothin' bout jumpin' 'er bones. Jus' try'na get a feel fer 'er is all."

"Ain't my business ta be tellin'. She lives alone an' from what she tells me, she prefers it that way. She's been through 'er own hell like us," Daryl explained.

At the mention of their childhood, Merle grew uncomfortable. He wasn't good at these kinds of talks. Emotions were never one of his finer points. He much preferred to keep the tone light and sarcastic, things he was good at. He scratched at his head and stood up from his bike, eager to change the subject to something less heavy.

"What'cha wanna do 'bout dinner? Ya got food in tha house?" Merle asked.

Daryl smirked, "Ya ain't changed a bit, have ya?" He asked. Merle swallowed and looked out towards the other trailers. "Don't keep much food in tha house. Usually ain't ever here ta eat it anyway. If'n ya hungry, I guess we gon have ta go an' get somethin'."

Merle was quiet for several moments. It bothered him that Daryl said he hadn't changed. He thought he had changed quite a bit but he supposed that it might take Daryl a while to see that. He didn't think he was anywhere near the same person that he had used to be. He liked to think he was a little better than that person nowadays. He sighed.

"Daryl-"

"Don't. Jus' don't. Ya comin' ta go eat or not?" Daryl fired up his bike, drowning out any chance Merle had at replying.

He stood there for several long seconds before he turned and got back onto his bike, firing it back up. The easy silence that they had enjoyed moments ago was now gone, replaced with a tension that let Merle know that Daryl was brooding. They had had similar conversations over the course of the years. Merle wasn't exactly sure what Daryl wanted him to say. Neither one of them had ever dealt well with emotions and all that shit. Daryl led with his emotions every once in a while though he tried not to show it but not Merle. Merle never let anyone get close to him. Relationships were better kept at the friend level. He never mixed friends with sex either. That was a recipe for disaster and they would start expecting too much from him, more than he was willing to give.

He had thoroughly earned his title as an asshole. It was much easier to be an asshole than to try to care anyway. He turned his bike around in the drive and headed out behind his brother, his eyes flicking to the trailer next door before staring straight ahead again. It was better to keep people at a distance.

Merle Dixon needed no one.


	4. Chapter 4

****AN: Well this chapter has been bugging me so I had to get it out! I hope some of you are reading and are interested. For the few reviews I've gotten, I thank you. I don't know if the rest of you are enjo****ying it so far but if you are, please leave me a review and let me know. Reviews are love! Thanks again for reading and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! ;)**

**...**

Merle wasn't asleep the next morning when he heard Daryl leave for work. He hadn't slept much all night. His brother's place was too quiet, unlike the prison that he had unfortunately gotten accustomed to. He figured he would eventually adjust again, just like he had when he had first gotten locked up. It had taken him a while then to go to sleep to with all the banging, talking, and footsteps to be heard throughout the prison. It never got dark in there either so you had to get used to sleeping with lights on. The cells would get dim but the light from outside would still shine through, making it hard to sleep.

He sighed and sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing his face tiredly. He figured he might as well get up and get moving around some, see if he could find himself something to do. He rummaged around in the kitchen and found some coffee which he set to brew while he went and took a shower. The shower, although small, felt really good to him after taking those quick prison showers and he found himself lingering until the water ran cold. He stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist before walking back into his room. He glanced at his dirty clothes on the floor. Daryl had mentioned something last night about there being a couple of boxes of his stuff in the closet so he reached in there and pulled them out. He found some of his clothes and other odds and ends throughout the years that he had managed to drag along with them as they moved.

He was surprised that his brother had kept that shit but then again his brother always seemed to surprise him like that. He grabbed up a black tank and a pair of jeans and then made his way into the kitchen to fix himself a cup of coffee. He poured a cup of the steaming brew and took a long sip. It had been so long since he had had a cup of actual _coffee_, not that imitation shit they tried to pass off as coffee in prison. As he drank his coffee he stared out of the kitchen window at his bike. Maybe he would take it for a ride or something, get lost for a bit. He set down his now empty coffee cup and moved to the chair to put on his boots.

He locked the door and then made his way over to his bike. He couldn't get over the fact that his brother had kept the thing in good condition while he had been gone. It made him feel good, although he would never admit it, that his brother had done that. A flash of white out of the corner of his eye had him glancing up and over at the blonde's place next door. She was in her backyard but far enough over that he could still see her. She was standing on tip-toe, hanging clothes out on her line to dry. Merle leaned against his bike for a moment, his ride momentarily forgotten. She had on jean shorts and a white tank. Every time she stretched to pin-up an article of clothing, her shorts grazed the bottom of her ass cheeks and her tank rose a little bit, revealing a sliver of tanned skin.

He kept watching until she had moved further down the line and disappeared from his sight. He shook his head in wonder. He couldn't believe his baby brother hadn't hit that yet. They clearly had some kind of friendship thing going so he was obviously in good with her. Yesterday he had noticed his brother's slight protectiveness of her when Merle had mentioned her. He didn't understand his brother sometimes.

He straddled his bike and fired it up, enjoying the growl it made when he gave it some gas. He let it warm up a minute and then he backed out of the drive, meandering down the gravel road, just enjoying the feel of being _free_.

...

Daryl unscrewed the manifold on the engine he had lifted on the car and wiped at his eyes with his arm. He was tired. He hadn't gotten much sleep at all the night before. He wasn't used to having his brother around anymore. He had gotten so used to being on his own that it was going to take some adjustment on his part to get used to sharing his space again.

He was pretty much the only guy in the shop at the moment and he was glad. He didn't really feel like having to listen to the other's chattering away while he worked. Chuck was in his office which was closed off from the bay area and the other mechanic, Shane, was out doing a tow. It was a relatively slow day anyways, the only work needing done right now was the engine rebuild Andrea had told him about.

Daryl owed Andrea a lot. She had been the one to get him the job at Chuck's garage. He had been out in his yard not long after moving in, tinkering on Merle's bike one day when she had walked over and introduced herself. They had made small talk for a bit and then she had asked him what he knew about cars. Daryl knew a good bit about cars, but his expertise was engines. He could take them apart and rebuild them almost with his eyes closed. He had spent a lot of time in shop class during high school. It had been the only damn thing he had ever managed to earn an A in.

Andrea had been the one to introduce him to Chuck. As soon as Chuck had discovered Daryl's talent for engines, he had immediately taken him in. Daryl had been able to lure in more customer's for Chuck, mostly dealers, who needed work done on cars they had bought from out-of-town auctions and such. They were willing to pay higher prices to get the vehicles back quickly and Chuck always managed to throw Daryl a nice little bonus in his paycheck at the end of the week whenever he did them.

So even though he was tired, it was worth it for him to drag his butt in this morning. He had managed to squirrel away a decent amount of money that he had buried in a mayonnaise jar in the ground behind his place. It wasn't anything to bat an eyelash at by any means, but it was enough to keep him from living on the street if he suddenly had to move again. It had become a safety net of sorts for him and nobody knew about that money, not even Merle. That money was his little secret. The one thing he had that insured he wouldn't have to ever be homeless again.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts and the engine in front of him that he hadn't even heard the car that drove onto the lot.

"Excuse me? Sir?" A timid voice asked from behind him.

He jumped slightly. It wasn't often at all that someone managed to sneak up on him. He turned to find a thin woman standing behind him clutching a large purse in front of her like it was some kind of shield. She appeared nervous and when she lifted her huge sunglasses, he saw her eyes dart around the shop.

He sighed, "Chuck's 'round tha corner if ya got somethin' needs fixin'," He gestured towards the office off to the side. He turned back around and began working on the engine again, trying to get his focus back. He heard her shift and he paused, knowing she was still standing there.

"Well you see, I'm not sure I _do_ have something that needs fixing. I went to that office already but that guy sent me out here," She said nervously.

"Fuckin' Chuck," He muttered. He sighed and turned back around towards her. He set his wrench down on one of the toolboxes and stalked towards her. H noticed that she flinched as he reached past her and grabbed up a shop towel, wiping at his greasy fingers with it. It didn't do much, never did. Engine oil and grease weren't easy things to remove once they got on your skin. It was even harder to remove once you got several layers of it on you like he had.

He brushed past her and walked out to what he assumed to be her little car, parked off to the side of the lot almost as if she had swerved in at the last minute.

"What's tha problem?" He called as he walked up to it. He didn't see any obvious signs of damage.

Again he was surprised at how silently she moved as she appeared next to him. "The left rear tire was making a noise. I think something might be loose back there," She said.

He shoved the towel into his back pocket and kneeled down by the tire. "Get inside ya car and switch it on jus' enough so that ya dash lights come on, but don't crank it," He said. She opened her door and did as he asked. "Now turn ya wheel all tha way ta tha right like ya makin' a turn," He directed.

She complied and he held up a hand at her to hold tight for a moment. He lay down on his side and felt around for a few minutes. Everything seemed to be in place as far as he could tell. He frowned and ran a hand over the tread of the tire. He paused as his hand grazed something that didn't belong. Peering closely, he could just make out the head of a nail sticking out from the tire.

"This here's ya problem. Gotta nail in yer tire," He commented.

"A nail?" She asked.

He rolled his eyes. It never ceased to amaze him how naive people could be sometimes about their vehicles. "Yeah. I can take it out fer ya an' try ta plug it if tha noise bothers ya or if it ain't been leakin', ya can pro'bly drive on it a lil' longer," He reached into his pocket for a cigarette. He could feel the engine calling his name and he really didn't care what the woman did either way at the moment as long as she came to some kind of solution soon. He was on a deadline.

She looked back and forth from him to the tire. "I've been hearing it for a couple of days. Do you think it's safe to drive on it for a little bit longer?" She asked.

He shrugged. "That's yer call. I'd say so though since it's been two days an' it don't look like it's low on air or nothin'. It'll pro'bly hold ya for a lil' longer but you'll need ta get it taken out soon an' get it plugged. Still got lotsa tread left on it," He commented. He took a long drag of his cigarette and stared at the tire.

The woman looked around worriedly and he figured she was hesitant about the neighborhood. Lots of people bypassed Chuck's if they hadn't heard of it before. The place did look kind of sketchy; Daryl had to admit. She finally sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"I don't know what I should do. I just moved to a new place a few blocks from here. I...I don't really have a lot of money," She whispered. She looked as if she regretted telling him that the moment the confession left her lips.

Daryl sighed. "Listen, I don't live far from 'ere, 'bout a block or so. If'n ya want, I can give ya my address an' ya can come over tomorrow sometime an' I'll plug it for ya. No charge," He said.

He glanced back towards the garage. The last thing he needed was for Chuck to hear him taking his business. As good as he was, he wasn't irreplaceable. Chuck would have him out on his ass before he could so much as spit.

She squinted up at him and chewed on her lip nervously. Daryl noticed she had several gray hairs mixed in with the dark brown of her hair. It was a short cut too. Daryl normally didn't like short hair on women, but it seemed to suit her. She would almost be pretty if she didn't look so skittish and _hungry_. The woman looked as if she hadn't eaten a good meal in days.

"Alright," She finally agreed. She dug through her enormous purse and pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen that she handed to him.

He scrawled his address on the paper and then as an afterthought, added his cell number too. "Here. Ya got any problems, ya jus' call. I expect ta be home all day tomorrow, so ya can come on by anytime ya get ready," He said.

She nodded and put the items back into her purse. He turned to go when she called out to him again. "I'm sorry. I didn't get your name?" She asked.

"Daryl," He replied.

She smiled slightly and he was momentarily struck by how pretty she looked when she did it. "It's nice to meet you Daryl. I'm Carol," She gave a little wave before getting into her car and driving off.

Daryl shook his head as he stood there, still smoking, as her tail lights disappeared from view.


	5. Chapter 5

****AN: I'm glad some more of you have decided to join me in my little story I've got going here. I'm pleased with this chapter and I hope that you all will be as well. I've got some things developing here and I'm kind of excited about it. It's late here but I hope you all like this chapter and if you do, I hope you'll leave me a review and let me know. Thanks! :)**

**...**

Merle had been gone a couple of hours before he finally decided to head back home. He was getting hungry and he was ready to get back and rummage around for some food. He pulled back into the driveway and cut the engine, taking a moment to just sit and reflect on the ride. He had never seen himself as the type to _reflect_ on anything but prison changed a person. Some people it changed for the better and some people it didn't. He couldn't really say yet how it had affected him. Only time would tell.

He stood up and stretched his joints, taking his time. It was only as he crossed in front of the bike to go up the steps that he spotted her. The first thing that caught his eye was the fact that she still had those damn shorts on she had worn earlier and she was bent over, ass up in the air for all to see. The second thing he noticed was that she was halfway under her porch calling to something. He paused for a second and then upon seeing her stretch further underneath the porch, he decided to do the neighborly thing and go to see if she needed any help. Besides, she thought he was an asshole so maybe this would help to improve himself in her eyes. Although at the moment, he wasn't quite sure why he cared.

He stopped just behind her and took one last look at her ass before speaking up. "Ya lost somethin' under there?" He asked suddenly.

She jumped slightly and smacked her head against the underside of the porch. "Shit!" He heard her curse.

He chuckled slightly and then kneeled down next to her. He saw that she had a flashlight in her hands but he couldn't see what she was looking for. She crawled out from under there some, her hair falling down in tendrils by her face and her shirt smudged with dirt and grass stains. She blew a piece of hair out of her face and glared at him.

"You scared the shit out of me!" She said.

"What'cha doin' under there?" He asked. He couldn't keep the amused expression off of his face.

"I'm trying to get this damn cat out from under my porch where he has decided to take up residence," She huffed.

"Want me ta give it a try?" He asked. He didn't know why he was bothering. The blonde clearly had it out for him, but there was something about her that he found himself drawn to.

She shrugged, "If you think you can do better, then by all means," She stood up and gestured to the porch with a grand sweep of her hand.

Merle smirked, "Gimme' tha damn flashlight," He said.

She passed it over to him and he got down on his stomach to scoot under the porch as much as it would allow. He shone the light around the area until he finally located the small cat in the far corner, pressed as far back as it could get. He could tell it wasn't full grown but it was a little bigger than a kitten as well. It also looked as if it hadn't been around many people.

Merle had always considered himself a lot of things, but sweet and endearing weren't on that list. However, he did manage to get close to that when it came to animals. Aside from hunting,he had never harmed an animal. He didn't hunt recreationally either. He and Daryl had always ate anything they killed. It was never for sport.

He held out his hand towards the cat and watched as the cat regarded him warily. He knew it was going to take more than some sweet talking to get this animal to come out of hiding.

"Ya got some tuna or somethin'?" He called out.

Her face appeared down close to the hole, "I think I've got a can of sardines," She replied.

Merle made a face, glad that she couldn't see, "Whateva, jus' bring 'em."

He heard her cross over the porch and enter the trailer. Several minutes passed before she returned with an opened jar of sardines that she stuck underneath to him. He wrinkled his nose at the smell but stuck them out towards the cat as a sort of peace offering. The cat sniffed the air several times and then took one hesitant step forward, its eyes never leaving Merle. Merle stayed really still until the cat finally made its way to the sardines and with one last glance at him, began to eat. Merle's arm shot out and he grabbed the cat around the back of the neck, causing it to hiss and spit at him. He crawled backwards quickly, but not before the cat bit down into his hand, causing him to utter a string of profanity that had Andrea blinking at him in surprise. He thrust the cat at her and watched in disdain as it seemed to calm down considerably in her arms.

He huffed, "I'm tha damn one that gave ya food an' ya tried ta chew my hand off. Why ain'tcha bitin' 'er?" He asked the cat.

Andrea held the cat tightly to her and scratched behind its ears. "I suppose because I've been under there the better part of an hour sweet talking it. I think it likes me. _I_ didn't drag it out by its fur," She replied.

"I had ta be quick. If I hadn't, we'd have been down there all damn day," He complained.

She glanced down at his hand, her forehead crinkled in thought. "I've got some cream I can put on that. I can bandage it up for you," She said.

Merle snorted, "Don't need no bandage. Don't be no pussy, it's jus' a scratch," He said.

She raised a brow as she looked at it, "It's bleeding," She remarked.

He sighed and looked down to find that she was right. The damn cat stared at him as she continued to stroke it and he swore the damn cat was mocking him. "Alright," He finally agreed.

She opened the door and he followed her inside of the house. Her place was a lot more lived in than Daryl's and she had lots of pieces of artwork and a whole wall of shelves that were loaded with books. Although somewhat cluttered, it was still clean. He watched as she placed a bowl of milk on the floor for the cat and then she passed by him walking towards the short hallway.

"Have a seat, I'll be right out," She called.

He heard her rummaging through some things and he walked over to her bookshelf to peer at her selection. She had a lot of the classics which Merle had read as well as romance, mystery, and a small selection of How-To books. She breezed back into the living room carrying a small box when she noticed him at the bookshelf. She smirked.

"Those are books just in case you were wonderin'," She said sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes, "I'm well aware o' what a book is darlin'. Ya didn't strike me as tha readin' type," He remarked.

"Yeah well you didn't strike me as the type that knew _how_ to read," She replied. She pushed on his shoulder until he sat in the chair she had by the shelf. "I've got some Neosporin here that will keep it from getting infected an-"

"What's yer favorite?" He asked suddenly. He could care less what in the hell she was doing to his hand as long as it made her feel better to do it.

"My favorite w_hat_?" She asked.

"Yer favorite book."

She wrinkled her brow as she squeezed out some of the cream onto his hand. He was momentarily distracted by her soft warm fingers rubbing the cream into his hand in gentle circular motions. Other places were becoming well aware of it as well and he shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

"It's hard to say. I like _The Call of the Wild_, _Romeo and Juliet, The Outsiders_-"

"The Outsiders?" He repeated.

She sighed as she began to wrap his hand, "You don't like to wait for people to finish talking before you start, do you?"

He chuckled. He liked her fire and quick wit. "I don't s'pose I do. What's Tha Outsiders about?"

She finished the wrap and reached behind her to pluck a well-worn book down off of the shelf. She handed it to him. "Here. Read it," She said.

"I can't take ya book," He said.

She laughed, "I didn't say anything about _keeping_ it. Just read it and return it when you're done. It's one of my favorites," She said.

Merle glanced down at the flimsy book in his hands. It looked as if it had been read many times over and he could tell that it was a favorite. He nodded slightly.

"I'll get it back ta ya as soon as possible," He said.

She smiled at him for the first time. "Take your time. I know where to find you if I need it," She replied.

He cleared his throat and stood up, the room suddenly becoming too quiet for him. He walked towards the door. "Ya gonna keep tha cat?" He gestured to where the cat had jumped onto the sofa and was pawing at it contentedly.

"Shoo!" She hissed at it until it flicked it's tail at her and jumped down to the floor. "I'm giving it a trial period and then we'll see how it goes," She said.

He nodded, "Well I best be gettin' back over here 'fore my brotha gets home. He'll start cluckin' like a motha hen if'n I ain't there when he walks in." He opened the door and she followed him out onto the porch.

"He cares about you, you know," She held one of her hands up, shielding her eyes from the sun.

"Thanks fer tha cream an' tha' girly bandage," He said instead.

She frowned and shot him a glare, "Take care of my book," She replied and disappeared inside the house.

Merle shook his head as he crossed back over to their yard. She was an interesting little thing. He realized that he still didn't even know much about her, even after spending over thirty minutes with her. He looked down at the book in his hands and back over towards her house.

_Oh well, he had her book and with that, an excuse to go back over there again._

For now that was good enough.

...

Daryl ended up staying later than intended to work on the engine. He had wanted to at least get it halfway completed before he left for the day. The little interruption from the woman _Carol, _earlier had set him back a little bit. Even after she had left, he couldn't seem to get the image of her out of his mind. There had been a deep pain in her eyes that he recognized. It was the same pain that he saw reflected in his own when he glanced in the mirror. The woman had had a hard life, that much he could tell. There also seemed to be something else going on under the surface but he couldn't quite figure it out.

He really didn't know why he was so fascinated with her. She didn't even seem to be that attractive. She had pretty eyes but aside from that she had been so covered by all of her extra layers of clothing that he couldn't make out much of anything. Not that he cared. It wasn't like he would ever see her again anyway. He was pretty sure she had been lying about just moving in down the street. She probably wouldn't be back now that she thought she could drive a little further on her tire.

He stopped his adjustments of the engine momentarily and lit up a cigarette. His eyes flicked over to the tow truck as it pulled in. Shane Walsh jumped down out of the driver's seat and slammed the door, stalking past Daryl to the office where Chuck sat, probably reading the latest issue of _Playboy_. Shane didn't bother closing the door behind him so Daryl lounged against the car, listening to what had Shane's panties in a twist today.

Shane was an alright kind of guy. He never bothered Daryl for the most part but he had a little bit of a temper. He worked hard though and he didn't slack around and Daryl admired that about him. The guy always seemed to have an issue though and every day seemed to be something new. Sometimes he and Andrea placed bets on what would piss him off that day.

"That's the last time I go on a fuckin' tow for ya Chuck!" Shane yelled. Daryl heard the sound of keys being slammed on a desk. He was curious to see how Chuck would react. Chuck was a laid back type of guy but pushed too far, he could snap and it wasn't pretty when he did.

"What is it now Walsh?" Chuck asked.

"Damn rich ass kids thinkin' that they can say whatever the hell they want to us just 'cause their Daddy's a lawyer or some shit like that!" Shane yelled.

"They pay ya?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah they paid me, but that's not the point Chuck! We expected to just suck it up while they get to mouth off to us?"

"Hell yeah, ya are! Them tows is what helps ta pay tha bills 'round here Walsh! We can't afford for ya temper ta screw this up! Now ya tha best tow guy I got. Ya need ta get yer shit together," Chuck replied.

It was quiet for a few minutes and Daryl finished his cigarette and set back to working on the engine. Finally he heard some low mumbling and then Shane exited the office, walking over to the fridge they had and grabbing a bottle of water. He watched Daryl for several moments until Daryl paused and stared back at him.

"Got a problem there Dixon?" Shane asked. He had a strange look on his face.

Daryl narrowed his eyes, "Fuck off Shane. Ain't got time for ya drama."

Shane chuckled and disappeared out the door. Daryl shook his head. He didn't care to be around Shane when he got in one of his moods. His moods were coming more and more frequently lately and one day he was going to push Daryl too far. He didn't know what was going on in the guy's life lately, but he hoped like hell he got it figured out soon.

He reached over and turned the dial on the small radio, cranking up the rock music. It drowned out the sounds around him and the sounds of his own thoughts. He grabbed his wrench and went back to work.


	6. Chapter 6

****AN: Moving right along! Thank you for all of your kind reviews. They mean so much to me and I appreciate you taking the time to read this. I know Andrea is not a popular fan favorite and I myself am not even fond of her really. But I wanted to try something new so I hope you'll all hand with me and give me a chance. Hopefully I can make he likeable, LOL. **

**...**

Daryl was in the kitchen drinking coffee before work when Merle finally shuffled in. Daryl glanced at the clock and saw that it was a little after seven and then he eyed Merle over the rim of his coffee cup. Merle scowled at him and scratched his nuts causing Daryl to sigh and look away.

"Jesus Merle," He muttered. "Ain't nobody wanna see that shit."

"Well then ya shouldn't be lookin'," He yawned. "Fuck me, I'm tired." He reached for a mug and poured himself a cup of coffee. They stood there side by side in silence, just drinking their coffee.

"What'cha so tired for?" Daryl asked curiously. He knew that Merle had retired to his room shortly before midnight last night and he couldn't imagine why he would be as tired as he appeared to be.

"None ya damn business," Merle snapped.

Daryl narrowed his eyes, "Ya ain't doin' nothin' is ya?" He asked. He wasn't going to put up with that shit again. Brother or not, he was done surrounding himself with alcoholics and druggies. That was another reason he saved the way he had. He didn't want to be put in a position where he couldn't leave it he needed to.

"Lotta faith ya got in me brotha," Merle mumbled. He disappeared down the hallway for a moment and reappeared a few minutes later. He tossed something at Daryl. A book. Daryl looked down at it, not really sure what he was seeing.

"What tha hell's this?" He asked.

"It's a book. Ya know, ya read it. Them little markin's on tha inside. They called words," Merle chuckled. Daryl threw the book at him, narrowly missing his head. "Cut that shit out! Ain't my book!" Merle yelled.

"Whose fuckin' book is it then?" Daryl asked him.

Merle took another sip of his coffee before replying, "Andrea's."

Daryl felt his skin prickle. He really didn't want his brother over there feeding her head with shit. He knew how Merle worked. He would try to flirt with her and talk sweet to her, then he would fuck her and that would be it. He probably hadn't even read the damn book. Daryl shook his head.

"Thought I told ya ta leave 'er alone?" He asked.

"Don't get yer panties in a bunch brotha. I jus' helped 'er rescue a damn cat an she invited me in ta wrap my hand up."

Daryl looked at Merle's hands, "Don't see no bandage," He remarked.

"Cause I took that shit off. Ain't walkin' round with no damn band-aid on my fuckin' hand like I'm some kinna pussy," He scoffed. "Aint'cha workin' today?"

"Yeah, fixin' ta leave," He paused, thinking about the woman from yesterday. "Shit. Hey I told this customer ta come by tha house today if she wanted an' I'd take a look at 'er tire. I forgot I have ta finish that engine though. S'posed ta be my damn day off. Can ya keep an eye out for 'er?"

Merle shrugged, "Reckon' so."

Daryl set his coffee cup down. "See ya this afternoon then," He grabbed his cigarettes off the counter and pulled one out before shoving the pack in his pocket and heading out the door. He paused on the steps and lit the cigarette. He glanced over to see Andrea leaving her house and he walked down to the road to wait for her. She smiled at him as she approached.

"Good morning," She said.

Daryl shrugged, "What's so good 'bout it? Gonna be stuck on this engine all damn day," He grumbled.

"Jesus Daryl. You sound just like your brother," She said.

He took a draw off his cigarette as they fell into step beside one another, "Sorry. Jus' gotta get used ta havin' him 'round again I guess."

She bumped his shoulder playfully, "It's alright. I forgive you. He's actually not as bad as I thought. Kind of prickly, but not so bad."

Daryl snickered, "Ya sure we talkin' 'bout tha same person?" He asked.

She laughed, "I think so. He did help me catch my cat yesterday. He borrowed one of my books too. I wouldn't have ever pegged him for a reader," She commented.

Daryl blew out a puff of smoke and thought about that. "Yeah, he showed me. Tried ta tell me that's why he was so tired this mornin', cause he was up all night readin'. Ain't never known him to read a day in his life," Daryl said.

Andrea stayed silent for a few minutes, a small smile playing on her lips, "Hey we should cook out this afternoon. We haven't done that in a while. I've got some ground beef I need to do something with soon. Maybe we can grill some burgers or something?" She suggested.

They had cooked out a few times before, enjoying a cold beer on his back porch. There had never been anything else besides friendship between them nor had Daryl felt any inclination for there to be. They just didn't feel that attraction towards one another. It wasn't that she wasn't attractive either because she was a pretty woman. Lots of men that came around the shop would flirt with her but she just wasn't his type. He found it easy to be around her though. She didn't pry into his affairs and she didn't carry on a lot about stuff he didn't care to hear about either. It was almost as if he was hanging out with one of the guys.

"Sounds good ta me. I'm always up fer some food," He commented.

...

Merle was outside washing his bike that afternoon when he saw Andrea walking down the road. As soon as he spotted her, he went inside to get the book. It had taken him a while but he had finished it last night. He had had to take a nap today to make up for it because he had been so tired. The book hadn't been too bad and he had found himself drawn to it. He tapped it against his hands as he walked back outside.

"Hey blondie," He called out. She paused in the process of crossing her yard to her steps. "I got ya book," He walked over to where she was standing and staring at him curiously.

She raised her brow, "You finished it already?"

He nodded, "Took me all damn night but I finally did. Weren't too bad neither," He said.

She accepted the book from him but she didn't walk away and he took that as a good sign. "You surprise me Merle Dixon," She commented.

He grinned, "That a good thang?"

She smirked, "Maybe... I've got some burgers to get ready though. We're cookin' out at your place. Daryl's supposed to make a beer run when he gets off," She said.

Merle watched as she walked up on the porch and grabbed her keys from her pocket. "So I'll see ya in a bit then?" He asked.

She nodded, "I guess you will."

...

It was late afternoon before they finally got everything together and the burgers thrown on the grill. Daryl had come home and grabbed his bike to make the run to the store for the beer. He was a little unsure now about having beer around with his brother trying to recover from his bad habits and all but Merle insisted that he could handle beer just fine. It was the hard stuff he claimed to not be able to handle. Daryl could understand that. He still planned to monitor his brother throughout the evening though.

They were all sitting out on his small porch in the back, the scent of burgers wafting in the air. Merle and Andrea occupied the only two chairs Daryl had and Daryl was sitting on the steps near the grill. He didn't quite trust the railing around the porch to support his weight if he decided to sit on it. There were lots of things around the place that needed fixing up but Daryl wasn't about to spend his time trying to fix it for nothing.

It was quiet and they were all sipping at their beer in a comfortable silence when his cell phone rang. It startled him because it very seldom rang. He figured it might be Chuck with some last minute shit and he grumbled, almost deciding not to answer it. He had finished that engine earlier and everything should have been good. Finally he shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out the little prepaid phone. He didn't recognize the number but he answered it anyway, figuring it to be a wrong number.

"'Lo?" He answered. Silence. He tried again. "I said _hello_," He growled.

"Daryl?"

He tried to place the voice. It was female and very very soft. He glanced back at Merle and Andrea who were staring at him curiously. "_Carol?_" He asked.

He heard a rush of breath. "Oh, good. You remember me. Listen, you said I could call if I had a problem and I'm not really sure what to do. I don't have anybody else to call but I had your number in my purse and-"

"Woah, woah, slow down. What kinda problem?" He walked away from where the others were sitting so that he could have some privacy.

"I've got a flat," She stated.

"Where are ya?"

He heard some muffled noises on her end and then she came back on the line, "I'm not real sure..." She said.

He sighed, "Do ya see anythin' nearby? Jefferson ain't all that big."

He could hear the muffled noises again, a few minutes longer this time before she came back on the line. "I see an old run down store down the road. It's got some graffiti sprayed on it and there are bars across the windows," She said.

Daryl knew the place she was talking about. He had passed by it several times when he had gone riding. He always wondered who would have a store out in the middle of nowhere like that.

"I know where ya are. I'll be there in a few. Stay in ya car," He advised. It was going to be dark soon and she was a woman, presumably alone on a deserted stretch of road. That wasn't the safest place for her to be. He stuck his phone back in his pocket and turned to find Merle flipping the burgers on the grill. "Hey I gotta run down tha road a minute. I'll be right back. Y'all go ahead an' eat without me," He called. He turned and walked away towards his bike before they could question him about it.

He grabbed a few tools from inside before climbing onto his bike. As he drove down the gravel road his thoughts drifted to the woman again and what she could be hiding.

...

**Review? :)**


	7. Chapter 7

****AN: So here's another little piece to our story. I hope you all are enjoying it! I will try to get another update out quicker next time. I appreciate the reviews. Thanks! **

**...**

Merle wondered what his brother was up to. He hadn't been able to discern from his half of the phone conversation what was going on, but his brother had taken off rather quickly and that was unusual for Daryl.

He flipped the burgers on the grill and took another swig of his beer. It had been so long since he had tasted beer that it was taking him a bit to develop a taste for it again. He glanced over at the blonde and saw that she was looking down at her beer silently. She had her bare feet propped up on the porch railing and was leaning back in her chair with a thoughtful look on her face. He closed the grill and sat down in his chair again.

"Them some deep thoughts ya thinkin' darlin'," He commented.

She glanced up at him then, a small smile playing over her lips. She took her feet off of the rail and let the chair fall to the ground. Reaching around behind her back, she pulled a paperback book from the waist of her shorts and handed it to him.

He glanced down at the cover, "Of Mice and Men?" He asked. "What kinda shit is that?"

She gave him a look and resumed her stance of bare feet propped up and chair tilted back, "It's short, but it's one of my favorites. I think you'll like it if you give it a chance," She said.

Merle stared down at the book and then back at her. He reached around and tucked it into his waist exactly as she had had it. He stood up and walked over to the burgers, checking them to see if they were done.

"I think these are ready darlin'. Ya hungry?" Merle asked her.

She nodded, "Starved actually. I skipped lunch."

He flipped the burgers onto a plate and closed the lid to let the charcoal burn down. She followed him into the house and he set the plate on the counter. He watched as she went to the fridge and pulled out a bowl covered with aluminum foil. She placed it on the counter and he eyed it with interest.

"Potato salad," She said when she saw him eyeing it. "Homemade," She added with a small smile.

"So ya can cook an' work on cars, huh?" He asked.

They worked around each other in the kitchen as if they had been doing it for some time instead of for the first time. He noticed that she knew her way around his brother's kitchen very well and he wondered again exactly how much time she had spent over there.

She shot him a look as she placed her plate on the small table, "Don't tell me you're one of those men who are intimidated by a woman who knows her way around a car," She said.

Merle smirked, "I'm jus' tryin' ta figure ya out darlin'," He placed his plate on the table and sat down across from her in the only other chair. The table was a little wobbly but other than that, it seemed sturdy enough.

"Not much to figure out," She replied dryly. Merle stared at her thoughtfully. He could tell that that wasn't a true sentence. The woman had clearly been through some hard times in her life. Merle knew all about hard times. She took a bite of her burger, staring at him while she chewed, "So why were you in prison?"

"I'm sure ya already know tha answer ta that question. Lil' brotha ain't run his mouth 'bout me?" He asked.

"He told me some things but I'd like to hear it from you," She replied.

He set down his burger, studying her. He took a swig of beer and then leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms, "Got mixed up inta some thangs I shouldn't have. Started messin' with drugs an' dealin' ta make some money. One night I dealt ta an undercover cop an' they hauled my ass off ta jail," He shrugged.

She pushed her almost empty plate to the side and was quiet for several moments before speaking. "You got three years for one deal?"

Merle snorted, "Hell no! I had a few otha things under my belt too. Earned myself five years fer bein' a dumbass but only spent three on account a' good behavior," He winked.

A small smile teased the corners of her mouth as she stared at him. He was actually surprised to find that he was enjoying himself, enjoying his conversation with her.

"I may not know you very well but I just don't see the words _good behavior_ and _Merle Dixon_ going in the same sentence," She chuckled.

He smiled at her, "Well times is changin' darlin'. I ain't tha same man I once was. Hell I'll be pushin' forty soon. Figure it's 'bout damn time I got my act together, started doin' somethin' with my life."

She nodded, "That's very admirable... You know, you're not at all what I expected. The way Daryl talked...I was expecting a total asshole to be honest," She blushed slightly.

He wondered what all his brother had shared with the blonde. He hadn't ever known his brother to get close to anyone in his life and yet she seemed to know an awful lot about both of them. Maybe his brother was finally starting to grow into himself a little.

"Can't say as that asshole ain't in there somewhere still. Might make an appearance every now an' again," He smiled. "But hell I'm tryin'. It ain't easy I can tell ya that much. My brotha keeps expectin' tha old me ta return. He's always been waitin' on tha other shoe ta drop an' can't say as I blame him. Our life ain't been an easy one fer sure," He said.

She stood up then and grabbed his empty beer bottle, taking him by surprise. She tossed it in the trash with hers and then grabbed two more from the fridge. She popped the top and brought it over to him. He accepted it with a nod, his fingers slightly brushing hers as he took it from her. She sat down back in her chair across from him, that same smile playing over her lips as they shared another beer in companionable silence.

...

It was dusk when Daryl pulled up behind the small car that had pulled into the shop just yesterday. He could just make out her shadow in the driver's seat as he turned off his bike and lifted the kickstand with his boot. She got out of her car before he could make it to her door and he was surprised by how exhausted she looked. He stared at her for several seconds before clearing his throat and kneeling down by the flat tire.

"Thank you for coming," She said nervously.

He glanced up at her, studying her curiously, "Ain't no big deal. Ain't no place for a woman ta be stuck beside tha road," He commented.

He studied the tire and then returned to his bike to get out the small jack he had placed in his saddlebags. He positioned it underneath the car by the tire and began turning the crank to lift the car up. Once he had it off the ground enough that the tire wasn't touching, he ran his hands across the tread again. Squinting, he could make out another nail in the tire and he frowned.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

He leaned back on his heels, "Gotta 'nother nail in yer tire," He commented. "Ya sure is pickin' up lotsa nails. Might wanta watch where ya drivin'."

She looked down at her feet, her face slightly red, "Can you fix it?" She finally asked.

He snorted, "Ain't no fixin' ta be had ta that tire. Gonna need another one now," He sighed. "Tha shop's closed but I can prob'ly get Shane ta tow it in tha mornin' for ya," He said.

She shifted on her feet, her eyes darting around them as if she was searching for something. He found himself looking around too, trying to figure out what was making her so jumpy.

"How much will that cost?" Carol bit at her lip.

He stared at her for several minutes. He could probably get Chuck to give her a discount since they would be replacing the tire but he wouldn't do it for free. From the looks of her, she didn't have much money on her. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his hair sticking to it from his sweat.

"No charge if'n we fix tha tire," He finally said. He would just pay Chuck for the tow later, from his own money. No need for the woman to be stuck without a way to travel. She was clearly fighting something although he didn't know what.

She shifted again and he took in her appearance while he waited. She still had on clothes that were clearly too big for her frame and her shoes looked like they were past the point of no return. He wondered if she had any money at all from the looks of her.

"Do you think the owner might let me pay for it a little at a time?" She asked.

And there it was. She was definitely out of money. He felt kind of bad for her. He knew what it was like to be on your last dime and out of options. It was hard to ask people for favors and especially hard when you had nothing to offer them.

"Shouldn't be a problem," He said quietly.

She let out a deep breath, "Good. Thanks."

He nodded, "Uh, ya need me ta drop ya off at yer house or somethin'? I can jus' send Shane out for it in tha mornin' an' we can drop it back by to ya when it's done," He said.

He stood and leaned against the car as her face took on a panicked look, "No, no, that's fine. You've done plenty. I have a friend I can call to pick me up," She explained quickly.

He studied her. She was lying through her teeth. He decided to call her bluff. "Why'd ya call me ta come if'n ya got a friend ya can call?" He asked carefully.

He watched as she fumbled nervously with her keys. She looked off in the distance and then finally looked back at him, her eyes taking on a haunted look.

"You got me. I don't have a friend," She said softly.

He nodded, "Figured as much. Get on tha bike. I'll drop ya at yer house," He said.

He started to turn but his eyes drifted over the backseat of her car that he saw was loaded down with clothes and boxes. He stood there for a minute, thinking. He slowly turned back to her and saw that she was shaking slightly, tears running down her cheeks.

"Aw, shit," He muttered. He didn't know what to do with a crying woman. He wondered again what the hell the woman was running from. "Ya didn't jus' move in, did'ja?" He asked.

She shook her head slowly, wiping at the tears that streaked down her face. "Not yet. I've just got to find a job first and then I can find a place," She replied. "I'm sorry I lied."

_Jesus, this just kept getting better and better. _He chewed on his thumb, trying to keep from lighting up a cigarette as he put two and two together. "Ya sleepin' in yer car," It was a statement, not a question and she nodded again, finally getting her tears under control.

"I'll be fine though. I'll just ride with your guy Shane back to the garage in the morning," She said.

Daryl gritted his teeth, "Like hell ya will!" He yelled, suddenly angry at this woman. Angry that she didn't seem to care that she was out in the middle of nowhere. She didn't seem to realize that sleeping in her car along this stretch of road just asked people to rob her or worse. "Dammit! Get yer shit an' get on tha bike. Ain't leavin' ya out here ta get robbed or murdered," He muttered. "Ain't havin' that on my conscience. Got 'nough shit on it as is."

He would ask Andrea to let her stay with her for the night until they could get her car fixed in the morning. Then they would send her on her way. At least he could say that he helped her that much. What happened to her after that wasn't his problem.

...

**Review please? Thank you for reading! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

****AN: I would like to extend my utmost gratitude to those of you who have reviewed and followed this story. I'm really developing a love for these characters in this one that I didn't realize would be there. I'm even liking _my_ version of Andrea, LOL. Anyway, this isn't quite as long but it's all I could get out at the moment. I do hope you enjoy it!**

**...**

After Merle and Andrea finished eating, Daryl still hadn't returned from his impromptu mystery trip so they moved outside. He walked down the steps behind her, watching her as she walked over to study his bike.

"You know, I used to joke with Daryl about letting me drive this bike. He never would though. Said it was his brother's bike and no one rode it but you or him," She mused.

Merle chuckled, "That bike's been with me longer 'an anythin' else in my life 'sides my brotha. I reckon' me an' that bike's got us an understandin' 'bout each otha," He said.

She ran her hand over the seat slowly, "So when are you gonna take me for a ride?"

He walked up next to her, admiring the bike that glinted softly under the glow of the street lights. "Ya wanna go fer a ride?" He asked.

She smiled, the soft smile that he had been seeing glimpses of all night, teasing at the corners of her lips, "Maybe," She replied.

Merle smirked, "Ya think ya can handle all that power 'tween yer legs?" He grinned wickedly.

She turned to him, stepping forward until she was barely touching him, "Oh, I don't think it can handle _me_."

The little minx was flirting with him and he was _enjoying_ it. Too much. "Is that a fact?" He asked her.

She tilted her head back, her long blonde hair falling across her shoulders, "Mhm," She replied.

He placed his hand at the nape of her neck, stroking his thumb across her pulse as she looked up at him through eyes that were halfway closed. Her lips parted and he had just leaned his head down when the rumble of his brother's bike had them both jumping apart guiltily. Merle cursed his brother's shitty timing and ran a hand over his face. He snuck a look at Andrea and saw that she was fiddling with her hair nervously. He grinned to himself at the fact that she had been wanting that kiss too and she had obviously been affected by his close proximity. They stood together as Daryl pulled the bike into the drive and Merle saw that he had a passenger.

"What's up lil' brotha?" He asked as Daryl cut the bike off and proceeded to help the woman off of the back of it.

Merle studied the woman. She had a short haircut, her clothes appeared to be two sizes too big, and her shoes were hanging on by a thread and a prayer. Merle raised an eyebrow. _The first woman his brother brings home and it's this woman?_ She looked nervous as hell and Merle wondered what her story was. He never would have pegged her as his brother's type, but then again he hadn't ever known Daryl to have a type. For the longest time growing up he had thought his brother was gay.

Daryl said something to the woman and then walked over to Merle, gesturing with a tilt of his head to follow. Out of curiosity, Merle followed him a few feet away from the women so that they could speak in private.€€€

"That what tha phone call was all 'bout?" Merle asked him.

Daryl nodded, "That's tha customer I was tellin' ya 'bout. Got a flat tire. Broke as fuck an' livin' out her car. Ain't wantin' ta admit ta nothin' though. Brought 'er back here cause she was gonna sleep in 'er car on a deserted back road."

He let out a low whistle, glancing back at the women who weren't speaking, "No shit? That's some hard times. Can't say as I ain't done it b'fore myself but it'd be different fer a woman. What's 'er story?" He asked.

Daryl shrugged, "Dunno. Like I said, won't tell me nothin'. Gettin' a sense there's more to tha story though," His gaze strayed to the woman.

"Ya sweet on this woman, brotha?" Merle asked suddenly.

Daryl scoffed, "Fuck you. Ain't like that. Jus' ain't want ta see 'er get hurt," He replied.

Merle nodded, his gaze on his brother. Daryl was too busy looking at the woman to notice Merle studying him. He would have to keep an eye on his brother. He had a sense himself that his brother was intrigued by that woman and he didn't know enough about her yet to know if that was good or bad.

...

Daryl walked back over to the two women, noting that they hadn't spoken to each other. He pulled Andrea to the side, "I need a favor," He said.

She groaned, "Daryl, you don't even know this woman," She answered before he could even voice his favor. Her eyes darted back to Carol who was looking as if she wanted to flee.

Daryl knew that if he pressed Andrea hard enough, she would give in. They had developed a close friendship since he had moved in and it was rare for either of them to deny the other a favor when needed.

"It's jus' for tha night. We gonna get 'er a new tire in tha mornin'. Gonna get Shane ta tow 'er car in ta tha shop. She ain't got a place ta go. All 'er shit's in 'er car," Daryl said.

Andrea sighed, looking defeated, "Damn it Daryl. You know I can't say no. This hits too close to home for me. I guess she can stay the night," She finally said.

He remembered her telling him all about how she had run from an abusive relationship. Her piece of shit boyfriend had turned out to be some kind of psycho stalker. She had told him bits and pieces of what had happened but not all. He knew it was her pride that kept her from telling him everything and truthfully he really didn't think he _wanted_ to know. He had come to care a lot about Andrea and he didn't want to think about the kinds of suffering she had been through. He would be sorely tempted to find and beat the hell out of the bastard who had caused her that pain.

She had been living in the trailer park for about six months before he moved in. It was her fourth time moving since she had left the bastard. She had explained to Daryl that she had felt paranoid and therefore had moved around a lot since leaving her boyfriend in case he tried to follow her. It was understood between Andrea and him that they both had scars and they had bonded because of them. She would cook him things from time to time and they would have dinner together, simply to keep from either of them having to be alone. He never minded being on his own though, but he didn't refuse, getting the sense that it was really her who didn't want to be alone. In return for the dinners she cooked, he always kept an eye out for her, feeling like the protective brother. It was because of those reasons that he knew that she would give in to him.

"I owe ya one," He said.

She nodded and gave him a small smile, "You know, your I.O.U.'s are starting to add up," She joked.

"I'm good fer it," He replied back as they walked back over to where Carol was standing.

"Carol, this is Andrea. She's gon' let ya stay at her place tonight," Daryl said.

Carol looked over to Andrea and gave her a small smile, "Thanks, I really appreciate it. I promise you won't even know I'm there."

Andrea smiled back, "It's no problem, really. As long as you don't mind a finicky cat," She said.

"I don't mind. I love animals," Carol replied.

Daryl grabbed some of her stuff from the saddlebags on his bike and passed it to her. She gave him a small smile as she clutched the bags to her chest. He shuffled his feet, aware of both Andrea and Merle watching them. "Well, uh, I'll see ya in tha mornin' I guess. Andrea'll take real good care of ya. She works at tha shop too an' we usually walk together," He said.

"Okay. Thank you Daryl. I'll find a way to pay you back for your kindness," Carol said.

Daryl waved her away, "Ain't nothin'. Don't need no payment. See ya in tha mornin'." He waited as Andrea and Carol both made their way across the small road to Andrea's trailer. He watched as they went inside before turning to go inside his own place. Merle followed him in.

"Keep yer mouth shut," He muttered as Merle stood there beside the counter watching him.

Merle held up his hands in defense, "Ain't said a thing. Andrea left ya a plate in tha microwave," He commented.

Daryl pressed a button on the microwave to heat up the food. His stomach was growling with hunger. "Thanks."

Merle started to leave the kitchen and then stopped, lingering in the doorway, "Good friend ya got yerself there," He nodded his head toward Andrea's place.

Daryl studied him out of the corner of his eye as he fixed his burger, "I reckon' she is," He admitted.

"What's 'er story? Divorced? Widowed?" Merle asked.

Daryl smirked, "Why? Ya interested?"

"Might be."

"She ain't no one time fuck Merle. She deserves better'n that," Daryl's voice came out cold.

"I ain't that same man no more brotha. Maybe that ain't all I'm lookin' fer no more. What's it gonna take fer ya ta realize that?" Merle said and he shook his head before walking down the hallway to his room.

Daryl thought he indicated a note of sadness in his brother's voice, but he wasn't sure. He wasn't used to this brother. The Merle he had known had been quick to argue, quick to anger, and quick to leave. Just like he had left Daryl behind before. This Merle was someone different and he was having trouble adjusting. It had been easier for him when Merle had always been drunk. He could lash out at him and not feel bad. But now that Merle wasn't drunk and seemingly trying to do better, Daryl _did_ feel bad. Things were so much different now than they used to be.

As he sat down at the table to finally eat his dinner, his thoughts once again drifted to Carol. She was running from something that much he was sure of. Maybe she was like Andrea, running from a crazy psycho. Or maybe she was simply running from her own demons, much as he did in his sleep. If she _was_ running from her demons then she would be pretty damn sad to find out that you never outran them. No matter where you went or who you were with they were always there, lingering on the sidelines and waiting for you to fail.

...

**Let me know what you think! Thank you!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi all! Thanks for the reviews for last chapter! Glad everyone enjoyed Daryl going to Carol's rescue! We're going to see some more of our beloved Carol in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy! This one I wrote from Andrea's POV so that everyone could get a better feel for her character in this story. Thanks for reading!**

**...**

Andrea Harrison had been through a lot of hell in her life. She had had lots of experiences dealing with douchebag men and her last boyfriend had been the icing on the cake. The relationship had started out pretty well. He had opened doors for her, made her laugh, brought her gifts, and completely wooed her. Andrea had never had that in her life.

Growing up, she had always been the outcast in her family. Her parents had never understood why Andrea would rather play with cars or in the dirt than wear frilly dresses or play with dolls. That just wasn't who she was. Those things didn't make her happy. Cars made her happy. At first she thought that she might want to be a race car driver but then she had found out that she didn't really care much for it after she had briefly dated a guy who drag raced.

It was when she watched some guy friends do a tune up one day that she started really thinking about being a mechanic. It seemed so simple. You take the pieces apart, replace the piece that was broken, and put them back together. Then if you couldn't find the problem, you just used the process of elimination until you did. Simple.

She had learned a lot that summer from watching the guys that worked at a garage in town. She had watched them do numerous car repairs, drinking in all of the knowledge that she could. She started practicing, doing simple repairs for others until she got the hang of it and she moved on to bigger and more complex repairs. The whole process of working on a vehicle was relaxing to her. It was just her and the vehicle and there was no one around to bother her. It was also a trade that she could carry with her. There were always people needing repairs no matter where you went and she never had to worry about finding a job.

It was only when she had met Philip that things had started changing. She had allowed herself to get sucked into his false image of chivalry and romanticism. It had been good for a few months, so good that she had briefly entertained the idea of marrying him. She had imagined herself being someone's wife, always having someone to come home to. Except he had started to change. There were gradual changes at first, little things that she overlooked. He would overreact about small things like a change in plans, or a guy staring at her for too long. Then she started noticing him appearing in places that she was randomly, and when he should have been working. It creeped her out so badly that she ended it. He had been strangely calm about the whole thing and that had bothered her but she had dismissed it, glad to be rid of him.

He started showing up outside of her house then. He would pull up and stare blatantly at her while she was home. She began to get strange phone calls where the caller wouldn't say anything and instead just breathed heavily into the phone. That's when she decided that it was time to move. She had moved four times since then. The first time she had moved, she hadn't been gone but two months before the phone calls started. She had known it was him and again she had moved. There hadn't been any phone calls since but she had still moved two more times until she had finally settled in Jefferson. It was small and discreet and so far, quiet. She didn't own a phone anymore. She didn't want to experience an anxiety attack every time it rang, thinking that it would be Philip again, breathing into the phone.

She hoped that part of her life was over now and she could move on. Meeting Daryl had been a big stepping stone for her. She had been hesitant at first, but then she had quickly seen that he was just as withdrawn as she had been. She found out that they both shared the same love of cars and from that point forward, they had bonded. It had never been sexual between them and that was fine for her. Daryl just wasn't her type.

Meeting his brother had been a surprise. Merle wasn't at all what Andrea had expected. The way Daryl had prepped her she had expected a bit egotistical asshole and so far, that didn't seem to be the case at all. He did have a way with sarcastic remarks but not to the extent that she had prepared for at all. He had shocked her with his admission to reading. He didn't seem the type that read books. Everything about him surprised yet intrigued her. She would have kissed him earlier if it hadn't been for Daryl coming back. She imagined that she would have liked it too.

Now here she was, doing a favor to Daryl by letting this strange woman stay in her house. But she trusted Daryl and if he thought Carol was harmless then Andrea did too. So far, Carol seemed more scared than anything as she stood in the middle of Andrea's living room. Andrea wasn't quite sure what to do with her. The few friends she had ever had in her lifetime had all been men. She didn't really know much about her except that her name was Carol and she didn't have a place to stay for the night. She could tell that there was more under the surface though, that much was obvious.

Andrea cleared her throat nervously, "Can I get you something to drink?" She asked.

Carol looked over at her and then nodded, "Thank you. That'd be great," She replied.

Andrea stepped into the small canary yellow kitchen and fixed them both a glass of iced tea. She almost tripped over the cat as she made her way back into the living room.

"Dammit!" She hissed between clenched teeth as she fought to keep from spilling the drinks.

Carol eyed the cat with interest, "What's its name?" She asked.

Andrea thought about it a minute. She didn't really have a name for the cat. She knew that it was a female but beyond that she only ever whistled when she wanted it to come to her.

She laughed, "I don't know actually. I haven't had her long. She probably thinks her name is dammit as much as I say it when she gets under my feet," She said.

Carol smiled and Andrea was startled to see how much younger she looked when she did. It was hard to tell much at all about Carol's age from the way she was dressed. She wondered if that was deliberate or because she had nothing else to wear.

She sat down on the end of her very worn couch and gestured to the chair and the other end of the couch. "Have a seat. Make yourself at home," Andrea told her.

Carol perched upon the chair that was located across from the couch as if she was afraid to get too comfortable. Andrea sipped at her tea, wondering if it was time for bed yet. Glancing at her wall clock, she saw that it was only a little after nine, still early yet.

"So...Carol. How old are you?" Andrea asked.

Carol's eyes flitted up to hers as she sipped her glass of tea, "I'm thirty-three," She replied.

"Oh," Andrea said.

Carol smiled slightly, "I know. I look much older than that right?"

"Well...," Andrea hesitated and then sighed. "Yes, yes you do. Why are you wearing clothes that are two sizes too big for you?"

Carol fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, "I like them," She finally responded.

Andrea raised a brow. She could sense that was a lie but she left it alone for now. If Carol wanted to pretend, then Andrea would play along. After all, she would be gone in the morning and it was unlikely that they would ever see each other again.

"So where you headed?" Andrea asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm weighing my options at the moment," Carol responded.

Andrea nodded, clearly seeing that she wasn't going to get very far in conversation with the woman and not knowing what else to do to pass the time. She had a TV, but she didn't have cable and the antenna only picked up about four channels, six on a good day. Most of the time when she was alone, she read to pass the time or she visited Daryl. She enjoyed cooking and she thought she was quite good at it. Daryl enjoyed eating so it seemed to work for them. Until Merle. Thinking of the older Dixon made her wish they had gotten to have that kiss. He seemed like the type of man that would know _exactly_ how to please a woman.

Carol stifled a yawn behind her hand. "If you're tired I can show you to the guest room. It's not much, but it's clean and the bed isn't too uncomfortable," Andrea offered.

Carol smiled and again Andrea was struck by the change it brought to her face, "Thank you. I'm actually exhausted. I haven't been sleeping very much," Carol said.

Andrea stood and led Carol down the short hallway to the guest bedroom that was right across the hall from her room. She stopped first at the bathroom at the very end of the hall to show Carol where it was in case she needed it.

"Thank you very much Andrea. You don't know how much I appreciate you opening your home to a stranger," Carol said.

"It's no problem at all. Daryl is one of my best friends," Andrea admitted. It actually surprised her when she said it. She hadn't even thought of him as a best friend before but she supposed that she could define their relationship in that way. She hadn't ever had a best friend but she imagined that he was the closest she would get to one.

"He seems to be a very nice guy," Carol said.

"He is. He doesn't like to be acknowledged for it though. He just prefers to do things under the radar," Andrea said.

Carol nodded, "Well...goodnight."

"Night. I'll wake you in the morning around six if that's okay? I usually get up and make coffee to give myself time to wake up."

"Six is fine," Carol replied. She nodded again and closed the door to the guest room softly.

Andrea walked back down to the living room, intent on finding a book to read.

...

Merle had only managed to read ten pages of the book Andrea had lent him. It wasn't that the book wasn't interesting because it was. It was that his thoughts were more on _Andrea_ than on the actual book. He had thought that he could force the memory of how she had looked when he had been about to kiss her from his mind with reading, but so far that hadn't been working. He had read more than ten pages but he had to keep going back and rereading pages because he kept getting lost.

He heard his brother retire to his bedroom and he swung his legs over on the side of the bed to sit up. Rubbing his forehead, he opened his bedroom door and walked down to the kitchen, intent on getting a drink of water. As he opened the fridge door, he heard a soft knock at the door. Curious as to who would be knocking on the door at this time of the night, he crossed over to it and pulled it open abruptly.

Andrea jumped, her hand suspended mid-knock, "Holy crap, you scared me!" She panted.

Merle leaned one hand against the door frame and peered around her, looking for the other woman, "Where's that other woman?"

"You mean Carol?" Andrea asked and Merle nodded. "She went to bed. I wasn't tired. Thought you might be up. Were you sleeping?"

Merle studied her in the pale yellow of the porch light. She was barefoot and she had on white cotton shorts and a black tank.

"No. Wanna come in?" He asked.

She thought about it a minute and then shook her head, "It's nice out. Why don't you come out here?"

He shrugged, glad that he had changed into a pair of shorts and a white shirt, instead of just walking around in his boxers like he usually did at night. He followed her outside and they sat down on the bottom step in front of the door. It was quiet out, the only sounds being the occasional dog barking or car door slamming.

"So what's goin' on?" He asked her. She shrugged and then looked at him, her cheeks tinted a slight red color. He smiled, guessing that she was very well thinking of earlier when they had been interrupted. He decided to test that theory. "So ya come back fer ya goodnight kiss, huh?"

She laughed, "You don't beat around the bush much, do you?"

He reached out a hand and tilted her chin towards him, "Not when it comes ta a pretty woman," He replied.

She licked her lips and his eyes darkened. He moved his hands to her waist as she leaned forward. He brushed his lips lightly over hers at first, teasing her. Then he applied gentle pressure and she responded to him by opening her mouth. He accepted her invitation and stroked her mouth with his tongue. She tasted like mint and coffee and her lips were soft and yielding beneath his. It had been three years since he had had his lips on a woman and he almost groaned at the sheer pleasure of it. They spent a few moments exploring and teasing each other before she pulled away. That same smile teased the corner of her lips and he chuckled.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"You. Ya get this smile on ya face when ya like somethin'. It's real nice," Merle said.

"So you have me figured out, do you?"

He shook his head, "Nah, not at all. But I'm jus' gettin' started, give it time."

She stood up and leaned down to place a soft kiss on his cheek, "Goodnight Merle," She said.

He looked up at her, surprised, "Goodnight?"

She nodded as she turned to walk away, "Yep. I got what I wanted, remember? My goodnight kiss," She teased with a laugh.

He shook his head as he watched her go, her hips swaying softly as she walked. He waited until she had gone inside, catching her eye one last time before he got up and went back into the house. He locked the door and shut off all the lights as he made his way back to his room. Once inside, he picked the book back up and he started to read.

...

**Review? I would love to know what you think! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**So for better or worse, here's another chapter for you all. You can thank Ramblin Rose for pushing my ass to get this out. ;) She puts up with a lot from me but she's a trooper and hangs in there! I'm not sure how great it is, but I'm trying to get back into my fics after my long absence. As always, reviews are appreciated and I hope to not take so long to get back to these from here on out. Thanks for hanging with me! I appreciate it! Enjoy ;)**

**...**

Daryl was waiting outside Andrea's porch the next morning when she exited her house, followed by Carol. He noticed that Carol was wearing another outfit that nearly swallowed her whole and he wondered if the woman had more weight under there he didn't know about or if she just didn't give a shit what she wore. Either way it wasn't his problem anyway but he couldn't help wondering what she might look like wearing clothes that actually fit.

As they walked down the steps, Andrea gave him a look that he couldn't interpret but he figured he would hear about later and they began walking down the gravel road that ran between the trailers. Usually when he and Andrea walked together she would keep up idle chatter or they would walk in a peaceful silence. The silence this morning was bothering him for some reason and he felt obligated to fill it with conversation of some kind. The only problem was that he wasn't really good with idle chit-chat. Instead he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a cigarette that he lit as they walked. Andrea kept sneaking glances at him but he couldn't tell what in the hell she wanted so he just ignored her until they arrived at the shop. As usual, they were the first ones there so Andrea used her key to unlock the door and let them in.

Apparently Chuck felt that women were more trustworthy and had given Andrea a copy of the shop key. Not that Daryl blamed him, the alternatives weren't that appealing. Someone had to have a copy of it because sometimes Chuck went out of town to buy parts from other dealers in the surrounding areas when needed. Daryl didn't want the responsibility and Shane wasn't dependable enough to trust with anything. In fact, Daryl was pretty sure his days were numbered at the shop.

As Andrea went into the back to hit the lights, Daryl led Carol over to the little waiting area that they had deemed a lobby of sorts.

"Ya can sit here 'til we get ya car fixed. Jus' gotta wait on Shane ta come in. Shouldn't be too long," Daryl told her.

She nodded, clutching her purse to her like a shield again, "Thanks. I'll be fine here."

He crossed over to the corner and began setting up the coffee pot for coffee. When he was finished he stood in the doorway, not really sure what to say but knowing that he needed to say something.

"Well if ya need anything, we'll be right in here," He said.

She nodded and he proceeded through the door into the bay area. Andrea had just switched on the little radio and rock music was drifting softly through the speakers. Daryl glanced to the cluttered parking area and wasn't surprised to see that Shane still hadn't made it in yet. He was never on time lately and it was really starting to chap Daryl's ass. He sighed and crossed over to the phone in Chuck's office and dialed Shane's cell phone number. It rang four times before he finally answered.

"Yo, Chuck, I'm on my way man. Got held up in traffic," Shane's voice said through the phone.

Daryl snorted. There wasn't any traffic in Jefferson. "It's Daryl," He said.

Shane paused, "Oh. What's up?"

"I need ya ta go pick up a car for me off of Clyde Road down across from tha old bar they shut down," Daryl said.

"What kinda car ya talkin' bout Dixon?"

"Honda. Blue four door," He said.

"Yeah I got it. Be there soon. Make sure ya tell Chuck where I'm at if he asks. Don't need him ridin' my ass again today," Shane said.

Daryl rolled his eyes, "Yeah well don't take all damn day. Got tha customer sittin' here waitin' on it."

"And who are you, my fuckin' momma?" Shane griped before he hung up.

Daryl shook his head, "Fuckin' jackass," He muttered.

"Who was that?" Andrea asked from the doorway.

"Called Shane ta go an' tow her car. Figure it'd be quicker while he was already out. Ya know how slow his ass is," Daryl commented as they made their way back into the bay.

They didn't have a whole lot going on at the moment and realistically Daryl figured they both didn't really need to be here unless they got swamped all of a sudden. Some days were like that too. Just when you thought you were going to get caught up, the cars started rolling in. Andrea crossed over to one of the toolboxes and absentmindedly started straightening tools and wrenches. Daryl noticed she did that sometimes when she got bored or had something on her mind. He glanced through the window of the door where Carol was sitting and saw her thumbing through a magazine.

"She's hiding something," Andrea commented.

Daryl glanced at her, "Ya think so too?"

Andrea nodded and continued her straightening even though it was pointless, "I don't know what though but I have a feeling it's bad. I feel kind of sorry for her. I mean, at first I thought she was weird but now that I've slept on it, I think she's just scared."

Daryl chewed on his thumb as he stared out across the parking lot, "What'cha want me ta do 'bout it?"

Andrea shrugged, "I don't know. Don't you wonder about her a little? Baggy clothes, no money, sleeping in her car, and acting jittery?"

Daryl snorted, "Hell that could apply ta most anyone nowadays. She could jus' be homeless or some shit like that," He commented.

He hated to think that the woman had no place to go to but it was a very real possibility. He himself had been in that same predicament before but a man on his own was overlooked quicker than a woman. It wasn't safe for her to be traveling all over the place with no money and no destination. At least, he didn't _think_ she had a destination anyway. He wasn't really sure what to think at this point really.

"I'm just saying Daryl. There's more under that surface. I've been there. She's hiding something under all those clothes."

Daryl glanced through the window at Carol again. She had leaned her head back against the wall and she was staring towards the parking lot, her eyes drooping as if she were about to fall asleep. The woman wasn't his problem. Hell he tried to steer clear of women altogether, especially those with a past. Andrea had been the one exception so far and he owed her too much to just toss her away. He didn't have room for any more problems in his life especially now that his brother was out of prison. As soon as Shane arrived with her car, he would fix her tire, wish her luck, and that would be that.

...

Merle walked up to the garage where his brother worked and took a moment to admire the backside of Andrea as she bent over a car. The tight jeans she was wearing showed off every curve of her ass and he wanted nothing more than to grab it but he restrained himself with looking instead. It took a few minutes before she turned around and smirked at him.

"So, you finally come up for air Dixon?" She asked.

He chuckled, "Slept a lil' longer than I intended too. Stayed up late readin' that book a yers," He replied.

She raised a brow, "My, my, getting fast are we?" She teased.

He shrugged, "I can take it a lil' slower if that's more ya speed darlin'," He teased and his eyes scanned the garage for his brother but he was nowhere to be found. "Where's Daryl?" He asked.

She pointed with a wrench to the office in the back corner, "He's having a heart to heart with Chuck," She said.

Merle was about to reply when a tow truck with "Chuck's Garage" written on the side of it pulled into the lot towing a blue Honda. Merle watched as a man that he vaguely remembered seeing the first time he had come here exited the vehicle and stalked across the lot towards the office. He didn't even knock before he opened the door and said a few things before shutting it again. Merle leaned against the outside of the brick wall and watched the man with narrowed eyes.

He felt his skin prick when the guy walked over to Andrea and swatted her on the ass. Before Merle could even think of saying anything though, Andrea whirled on the man.

"How many times I gotta tell you to keep your fucking hands to yourself Shane?" Andrea hissed.

"Come on Andrea, you know ya like it. Them jeans do thangs to me girl. Come out with me tonight," He coaxed.

Merle bristled, his jaw clenched. He walked over a few paces until the man caught sight of him, "She's busy tonight," Merle said.

The man smirked and put his hands on his hips, "Oh yeah? Doin' what?"

Merle knew all about people like him. People who thought that just because they talked a bunch of shit that they were invincible. He would bet good money that this guy Shane was all talk. Merle wasn't looking for more drama but he wasn't going to idly stand by while the guy was a total dick to Andrea.

Andrea set down the wrench and grabbed Merle's arm, smiling up at him sweetly, "We have a date tonight," She replied.

Shane looked from Merle to Andrea. He scoffed, "Ya goin' out with this _convict_?"

Merle growled low in his throat and stepped forward until he was nose to nose with Shane. Andrea tugged on his arm and he bit his tongue nearly in half in his attempt to keep quiet.

Shane sneered at Merle, "You got something to say?"

"If I did, you'd know it. I suggest ya walk away 'fore ya bite off more than ya can chew," Merle replied.

Shane chuckled softly and looked out at the parking lot for a moment before turning back around and taking a swing at Merle. Merle had anticipated that however, so he ducked and brought his hand up to grasp Shane by the balls. He squeezed just enough to get his point across, "I don't think me an' you's understandin' each other country boy, so lemme simplify it for ya," He applied a little more pressure and Shane tried to fight off his grip but Merle was locked down. "Next time ya try an' pick a fight, ya might wanna make sure ya gotcha big boy britches on 'cause this ain't no high school brawl. If you'd like ta discuss my time spent in prison, I'd be more an' happy ta give ya a demonstration of some of tha things I learned while I was in there," Merle growled softly.

"What tha hell's goin' on out here?" Daryl's voice rang out.

Merle knew that Daryl couldn't see what he was doing because Shane's back was to him so he relaxed his face into a smile and slowly released his grip on Shane. He slapped his hand down hard on Shane's shoulder, "We jus' talkin' lil' brotha. Somethin' ya need?"

Daryl studied them for a few minutes and then finally nodded, "Yeah. Come in here a minute. Need ta talk ta ya," He said.

Merle nodded and winked at Andrea who was staring at Shane who still hadn't moved from his spot at the edge of the garage. Andrea shook her head and walked over to grab a socket from the toolbox as Merle headed over to the office. She grabbed up one of the heavy rubber mallets they kept for dents and "accidentally" dropped it on Shane's foot as she passed by him. He let out a muffled curse.

She turned and placed a hand over her mouth feigning innocence, "Oops! That was so clumsy of me! Slippery little fuckers," She smiled at him and went back to working on the car, humming along with the radio a little.


End file.
